


From One Life to Another

by knaps_docx



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Battlefield, Flashbacks, M/M, Red String of Fate, Reincarnation, Rin is a dork, Rinharu Week, Soulmates, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-19 01:34:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22003099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knaps_docx/pseuds/knaps_docx
Summary: “They say when you meet your soulmate...”
Relationships: Matsuoka Rin/Nanase Haruka
Comments: 4
Kudos: 48
Collections: Rin & Haru Week





	From One Life to Another

**Author's Note:**

> I tagged MCD because it's a reincarnation fic. :3 Please enjoy!

He was certain it wasn’t supposed to be like this. None of the fairytales he’d grown up to love and dream about had a more horrific ending. They talked about happily ever afters and true love’s kiss. None of those stories warned him about the heart wrenching guilt or the cold emptiness consuming him. None of them talked about what happened after the rose colored glasses shattered.

None of them explained the true, coldhearted fate of those who find their soulmates.

~

“You look great. Try not to worry about it so much.” Makoto was trying to lighten the mood with his cheery, rather sweet smile, but it only caused Haru to sulk a little further in the shoulders. His lips downturned slightly as a cold expression reigned across his face. Instinctively, Haru brushed out the invisible wrinkles of his button up shirt he’d already meticulously combed over at least five times prior. He turned each side toward the mirror to make sure there wasn’t a single thing out of place.

“I realize this is your first date, but I’m confident everything will go smoothly. Sousuke’s told me a thing or two about him. The guy seems really chill, Haru.”

Haru’s icy blue gaze shifted to Makoto. As nonchalantly as ever, his friend bushed his finger across the sweat beading up on his temple. He didn’t have an inkling to the amount of pressure weighing on Haru’s chest at the moment, nor about the strange feeling that brushed across his skin when Haru’s eyes met those maroon orbs for the first time. Makoto’s ignorance was comical, but even Haru couldn’t fight through his nerves to open his mouth to say anything in return.

“I’m sure you’ll get along great.”

There he was brushing out the wrinkles again. Realizing he really needed to find another mundane task to expel his nervous energy, Haru sighed, grabbed his bag, and moved toward the door. There was no use idling around any longer. Sliding on his shoes, Haru tossed Makoto one last glance before disappearing silently behind the door.

~

Gripping his dying body in his arms, he was violently shaking. Why was fate so cruel? Pegged on opposite sides of the same bloody war, it was kindling to the fire that created this exact moment. Cursing himself for not realizing the truth until he’d ran his blade through the chest of his enemy, an enemy that was part of himself from the beginning. How cruel that the red string brought them together during such a dire situation. Enemies clashing over shared lands. Peace forgotten like the lives of those who came before. They may have been part of different kingdoms that didn’t share the same values and beliefs, but they were on the same side sharing the same heart. They were supposed to be together forever, but fate had a merciless trick up her sleeve.

What did it mean to be soulmates if they were cheated an entire lifetime being together?

He brushed his lips against his cold mouth feeling the sparks igniting where their skin connected regardless of the fact that it was far too late to think about second chances. An earthly, metallic taste filled his mouth. Blood was seeping from the gaping wound he’d created with his own hands. Too little too late. He was certain he was dead. Maybe even dead before he’d realized the truth. The thought was harrowing. He was going to be sick. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Where was their happily ever after? What about the lifetime he was supposed to be spending with his soulmate?

Abandoning his sword and the battle still unfolding around him, he leaned his head back as a violent scream erupted from his lungs. It burned his larynx and silenced the battlefield. It wasn’t the cry of immense loss. Truthfully, it was the first time he’d met him in this life. But as fate laughed in his face, all he could do was cry out in torment. Anguished and cheated, he screamed. Tears spilled down his face, streaking the dirt and blood coating his cheeks. He yelled until sound no longer emanated from his throat.

All he could hope for was the future, for their lives as one in this lifetime were over. And if they happened to meet again, if fate wasn’t as grueling, he cried in hopes it would be under different circumstances altogether.

_“I’m sorry.”_

~

The strange feeling had been following him all day, even as he closed the door in Makoto’s worried face and even when the warm breeze traveled across his bare skin. The goosebumps that followed riddled his body to the point of distraction. Haru rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. His skin felt cold beneath his touch. Whether that meant anything good or bad, he wasn’t exactly sure. At least not yet. Time would tell him the truth whether he wanted it or not.

The coffee shop appeared almost out of nowhere as if something subconscious had been directing him from the start. Nerves ramped up to their highest level, Haru gritted his teeth and pulled open the door. The bell chimed signaling his presence. A few people sitting in the corner carried on their conversation without batting an eye. The woman behind the counter greeted him kindly. But what drew his attention was the maroon stare behind soft lashes that was eyeing him from across the room.

“Haru!” he called out, waving his hand in a much larger gesture than necessary.

Cheeks burning, Haru shuffled across the wood floor toward him. As if all the eyes in the room suddenly fell upon him, he felt his steps growing heavier, heartbeat quickening, and though he was making forward progress, he felt as though his end goal was getting further and further away. A gloved arm outstretched from his quivering body, reaching for something shrouded in mist far enough away he knew he’d never reach it in time. He was scrambling toward the mass dying in the bloodied grass before him. What had he done? _What had he done?_

Practically falling into the chair once his hand reached the cold, metal frame, Haru sucked in a large breath of air to remind himself to calm down. The things he was seeing weren’t real. Though these violent visions didn’t start appearing until he’d bumped into Rin at the market, they took a chance, planned a date, and suddenly Haru felt like he’d entered into the Twilight Zone. Unable to escape them, they seemed to appear more frequently when he thought about Rin and the strange coincidence behind their meeting. Any normal human would’ve ignored, maybe even resented, the stranger that rammed into his shoulder causing a cascade of groceries across the market floor.

“You look great,” Rin interrupted as his signature, toothy smile brightened his face. All of Haru’s nerves and misplaced pieces of a wall he was frantically trying to build faded away like dew on a sunny day. Rin had been different than most of humankind. Instead of making a harsh remark about his spilled groceries, he laughed as Haru helped him put the assortment of fruits and vegetables back into his basket. Unflawed, suave, charming, and undeniably attractive. Everything Rin was laid out on the table just for Haru.

Damn did he ever want to kiss someone more in his entire life.

“I take it you made it here okay? I mean, obviously you’re here now.” Rin’s chuckle was just as cute as his smile. “I know this place is a little far off the beaten track. I guess I’m just hoping you didn’t get lost.”

Haru looked at the clock on the wall. He didn’t arrive late and most certainly didn’t get lost. Wondering why Rin felt the need to ask that question, Haru came to a stunning conclusion. Perhaps he just as nervous as Haru was? Though the thought warmed something in his chest, Haru immediately felt the strange feeling from earlier return. The feeling that he’d met Rin before. Maybe in passing, or in a dream from long ago, he wasn’t quite sure. Even with the entire week to ponder the thought, he couldn’t grasp the answer. Gnawing on his lip, Haru looked into the cup of coffee already ordered for him. The dark liquid emitted steam that lapped against his thumb as Haru carefully traced around the white, ceramic lip. A familiar smile curled the corners of his mouth for a reason he couldn’t quite place.

“I didn’t get lost. I’ve been here before.” Haru felt the words leave his mouth but couldn’t for the life of him understand why he’d said what he said. He’d never been to this coffee shop before. Like a red string of fate, he knew exactly where to go. As if it were leading Haru to Rin from the very beginning, he knew he couldn’t confess the truth. Rin would think he was a nutcase to believe in something so illusory.

“Really?!”

Guilt. Guilt for the genuine surprise Rin was emitting, guilt for the little white lie Haru was already playing, guilt for being untruthful from square one. It tightened his chest to the point of suffocation. Did he really want to start this off on the wrong foot again?

Again…

As if it happened before?

Shaking his head, Haru restated, “Well, in a dream or something. It feels familiar. My body sort of led me right here.”

“Oh,” Rin said as he toned down his excitement, but the smile never left his face. “It’s part of the original historical district. Maybe you saw it in a book or something? A great battle was fought on this very ground many years ago. They say if that war didn’t play out as it had, we’d still be at war today.”

A great battle. War. Peace. Why was Rin saying these things and why did Haru have the distinct feeling this was all part of some larger plan? Nothing was making sense, yet everything felt it was going as it should. Confusion and understanding were colliding to make a beautiful harmonious picture, but was there something more?

Haru dove straight to the point. “Do you like history?”

Rin laughed. “Nah, that was something I remembered from school. One of those useless facts that haunts your memory forever, you know?”

There were more forces at work here than Haru ever realized.

Testing the waters, Haru continued, “Do you believe in fate or love at first sight?”

“What? You mean like soulmates?” Rin asked dropping his head into his hands delicately laced together. His voice dropped in pitch as obvious curiosity coated the tone of his voice. There was something shining in his maroon eyes that immediately captured Haru’s attention. He couldn’t pull away no matter how hard he tried. Realizing he’d happily drown within the dark depths any day, Haru attempted to swallow the dry lump in the back of his throat.

“Yeah…soulmates. You know, they say when you meet your soulmate– ”

“Time stops?” Rin cut in.

“You feel electricity when you touch,” Haru continued.

“You feel an overwhelming sense of calm.”

“Like you’ve met this person before, and they have been waiting for you to come into your life at the proper time.”

“Do you feel it?” Rin asked suddenly reaching his hand forward. Haru felt the gravitational pull swerve as he took his hand off of his coffee mug and reached it toward Rin’s outstretched palm. His heartbeat was pulsing through his body at unnatural speeds. They’d been on the same page since the day Rin asked him out on this date. No. It was much earlier than that. Maybe since the beginning of time. A mixture of emotions bombarded his thoughts. Things like, what if Rin wasn’t his soulmate, what if they couldn’t fall in love, and what if things just didn’t work out like they did in the books crossed his troubled mind. The fear of rejection clouded his better judgement nearly to the point of withdrawing his hand.

But Haru persevered, and when their fingertips touched, he felt it. Minute tingling, barely enough to count. But there was a spark. He could tell Rin wasn’t at all satisfied with the results either, but what could they do? Was this genuine or a falsified reality? In some way, Haru was simply glad Rin believed in soulmates too. They’d passed the point of embarrassment and Rin didn’t think Haru was an utter fool.

Their eyes met in a curious glance. Questions flew between them. Uncertainties were laid out in the form of silent conversation. Haru couldn’t help but feel completely overwhelmed by Rin’s sense of self. He was a power ready to strike at a moment’s notice. Drawn in by the sheer willpower he possessed, Haru felt his body being yanked forward, pulled by the very hand that was gripping onto his so tightly. Their lips met.

Fireworks, as best as he could describe, tingled across his lips that caused goosebumps to erect across his skin. Rin was gentle and kind, which surprised Haru with how large his aura felt just moments ago. His lips were as soft and young as they looked. He could taste the slightest hint of coffee which Rin had been drinking just moments before Haru had arrived. But the one thing he could say for certain beyond the normalcy that inflicted his senses before the fireworks overpowered everything was that this wasn’t any ordinary kiss. It was easily arguable as _the_ kiss.

A flash of a violent memory clouded Haru’s mind. Cold wind tearing through his body. He was numb, empty on the inside, undoubtedly ready to give up the fight. But he couldn’t, could he? Someone was depending on him despite the circumstances. Despite killing his –

Only the sensation of Rin’s tongue flirting with the small gap between his lips caused the momentary lapse in time to evaporate away. Head light and airy and still slightly distracted by the strange phenomenon that bombarded his thoughts in such an intimate moment, Haru impulsively closed his lips to the temptation. In a less public setting, Haru would’ve gladly welcomed it. However, he had to remember the time and place. Rather than let his inhibitions wash away with the lightest pressure against his lips and the absolute overpowering sensations that short circuited his heart, Haru broke away. Eyes fluttering open, he met Rin’s gaze and found himself frozen, halfway out of his chair and arms gripping the coffee table as if it were the only solid object that could root him to the ground. Judging by the look on his face, Rin had somewhat of the same out of body experience.

“Wow,” Rin breathed, his dark eyes disappearing after a few fluttering blinks. He dropped himself back into his chair and inhaled slowly. Haru watched as he brought a few fingers to his lips to make sure nothing had changed. Something Haru would’ve immediately done too if he wasn’t so preoccupied with the strange feeling seeping its way back into his bones. He couldn’t shake those strange hallucinations. There was no way he could explain it, but that wasn’t the first time he’d kissed those lips.

“Rin?” Haru asked, forcing his locked up joints to sit him back in his chair. How could he ask him if he’d experienced the same thing? Seen the things he did? Even if it was a verbal confirmation, it wasn’t as if it was typical table talk, especially on the first date. Straight up asking him if he saw something during their kiss would make him feel awkward, and if Rin didn’t think he was a strange bird now, he definitely would. But maybe there was a better way around it. Carefully choosing his words, Haru asked, “What did you feel just now?”

Rin’s chuckle was immaculate. It calmed Haru’s nerves even more as he found his body naturally relaxing into his chair. Taking a sip of coffee, which was surprisingly still warm, Haru waited to hear what Rin had to say.

“I can’t put it into words,” was all he said, mimicking Haru by taking another drink out of his own cup. “But I have never felt anything like that in my entire life.”

That wasn’t what Haru had felt at all. “What about in a previous one?” Dammit, he didn’t mean to bring the reincarnation conversation up at all. Rin caused his walls to break down, walls that would’ve prevented Haru from talking about something so preposterous. It was bad enough bringing up soulmates and the red string of fate, but reincarnation too? He was such an idiot.

Thankfully Rin laughed at his comment. He replied with a large smile on his face, “Like in another life? Who’s to say. We’re here, living in the now. The past is history, the future is a mystery, and today is a gift. That’s why they call it the present.”

Haru could only chuckle at the ridiculous things Rin was saying. It had to be a cheesy quote from a movie he’d watched as a child but somehow stuck with him his whole life. Regardless, there was a lot of meaning behind it. Though it didn’t really matter what happened in the past, it was unchangeable, already history just as Rin said. Who knew what the future would bring. And the present, well, it certainly was some sort of gift or blessing that fate drew them together. Was it necessary to question any of it? As far as Haru knew, he found his soulmate and the world started making sense. He could settle himself knowing that was enough.

Even if Rin wasn’t experiencing exactly the same things he was. They were together in the now, much better than if those visions he was having were of a past life. The thought sent a shiver down the length of his spine. If that was true, the Rin in his previous life must’ve died before he realized. That’s why things were slightly askew.

“What?” Rin patronized, giving away his true nature. Haru couldn’t grace him with a reply as the server walked up to their table to check on them. Perfect timing. It was a fitting end to their strange conversation. Their kiss said enough. There was such a thing as soulmates, maybe even a red string of fate. Reincarnation certainly wasn’t off the table. All of these things Haru would’ve never believed just a week prior. Like puzzle pieces aligning into place, he could feel a path developing beyond this moment, one that would take him into the unknown. Though he wasn’t afraid, he greeted the endless possibilities with a smile knowing he’d found the person to complete his half. Life was beginning anew at that very moment.

“Want to go to my place for a little while?” Rin asked, breaking Haru’s train of thought. He nodded with a smile, overjoyed they’d be going to a setting much more private than a coffee shop. The conversation was continuing despite the strange turn of events. It was all positive, and Haru was very thankful for that.

“Sounds good to me.”

“Let’s go then,” Rin offered, scooting his chair away from the table. He stretched out a hand for Haru. Reaching out to grab it, Haru instantly felt the sparks tingling against his skin when they made contact just as they had when their lips met.

And in the lifetime before then too.

“After you,” Haru smiled and Rin led the way.


End file.
